Underframe construction for railway cars



April 30, 1935. A. CAMPBELL 1,999,552

UNDERFRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed March 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIh Z0 v W 7 TIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR. flea; Ls CAMPBELL ATTORNEY.

April 30, 1935.

A. CAMPBELL UNDERFRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed March 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MPBELL.

./4/?6 4.5 CA fi MW ATTORNEY.

April 30,1935. A. CAMPBELL UNDERFRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed March 25, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. I AEGyLE CAM BELL BY j A v ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 30, 1935 PATENT OFFICE UNDERFRAIVIE CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Argyle Campbell, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago,

11]., a corporation oi Illinois Application March 25, 1932, Serial No. 601,123

3 Claims.

lvLv invention relates to improvements in underframe construction for railway cars.

This invention relates to the construction of railway car underframes and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved foundation bolster member which will act as a rigid connection between the bolster parts and the centersills and provide a solid foundation on which the longitudinal members of the centersill structure and the transverse member of the bolster are mounted.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved bolster bottom tie member formed to extend beneath the centersills and act as a bottom tie for the bolster diaphragms, on the opposite sides of the centersill, and which will incorporate integral portions adapted to extend upwardly between the centersills and between the bolster diaphragms respectively and provide spacing means for the centersills and bolster diaphragms respectively.

Another object of my invention is to 'provide a combined center plate and bolster bottom tie member having integral spacing means adapted to extend between the bolster diaphragms and operate to space the same and provide improved .bracing means for the bolster above the side bearings.

Still another object of my invention isto provide a bolster bottom tie member adapted to extend flatwise beneath the centersills and bolster diaphragms and which is provided with an integral portion extending upwardly between and lengthwise oi the centersills and'constitute a draft gear abutment whereby bufling strains are transmitted through a member having connection with both the centersills and body bolster.

Still another and more specific object of my invention is to provide a bolster bottom tie member extending beneath the centersillsand having upwardly and outwardly extending portions adapted to be secured to the bolster diaphragms, and to so form this member thatit may be precast to shape thereby obviating the necessity of bending and stretching the fibers of this member, it being understood that the bolster bottom tie member normally operates as a compression member and when formed of a commercial plate it is usual to heat this member and distort said member by bending in a die which results in stretching the outermost fibers and thereby reducing the value of this member as a compression member.

A still more specific object of my invention is to provide a composite bolster bottom tie memher having the central part, or that part of the member subject to the greatest strain, formed of cast metal and having the end portions formed of ordinary commercial rolled metal plate, the latter being welded to the cast metal portion.

Myinvention further resides in certain detail of parts and improvements such as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

For further comprehension of my inventionreference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the lower portion of a railway car adjacent the truck and bolster parts and incorporating my improved construction, certain parts of the bolster diaphragms'being broken away to better illustrate the construction;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of that part of the car illustrated in Fig. 1, said view illustrating the bolster top cover plate removed and certain parts broken away to better illustrate the construction;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of that part of the car illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fractional longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a line corresponding substantially to a line 4-4 of .Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fractional vertical elevational view of a part of the body bolster taken on a line corresponding substantially to a line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fractional vertical transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a line corresponding substantially to a line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified construction of center spacer and draft gear abutment to accommodate a vertically disposed drait yoke. p

In said drawings the truck parts are generally indicated by the reference character A and the body portion of the car at B. The truck parts A are shown as including the wheels ill, side truck frames H and journal boxes l2. The truck bolster is indicated at l3, said bolster having side bearings at "-14 and center plate bearing 'portion at l5.

' The car body construction 13 includes a longitudinally extending centersill structure ii formed of a pair or Z-shaped beam members ll arranged with their webs ll vertically disposed. The top flanges lS-JQ or the respective sections iace inwardly towards each other and are preferably united at their edges along the longitudinal center or the car by welding as indicated at 2|. The

lower flange 2| of each -Z-beam member I! faces outwardly of the centersill structure and is pref= erably formed of increased thickness as compared with the remaining portions of the beam.

Spaced outwardly from said centersill structure' are the side sills 22-22 preferably of channel shape section with the upper and lower flanges turned inwardly towards the centersill structure. Extending transversely of the car on 'of conventional design including an upstanding web section 24 and a continuous outstanding marginal flange' presenting upper and lower flanges as indicated at 25 and 26 respectively, also inner and outer vertical flanges indicated at 21 and 28, said inner and outer flanges being adapted to respectively overlie and connect withthe centersills and side sills. Said diaphragms at their inner ends lie in the angle defined by the upstandin web I8 and the outstanding lower marginal flange 2| of the adjacent z-shaped centersill beam memben. Extending transversely of the car from side to side thereof is the bolster top cover plate member 29 which is riveted to the upper flanges of the .centersill and to the upper horizontal flanges 25-25'of the respective diaphragms 23 thereby providing a tension member for the bolster construction.

The compression element of the bolster includes a foundation member C which is preferably iormed of cast metal and includes a flat body portion 30 which extends continuously across the centersill and beneath the bolster sections on the respectivesides of the centersills and is united therewith by a series of rivets 3|. The member 0 has formedintegraltherewith-a center plate section 32 which cooperates with the center plate section II oi the truck bolster.

Extending up above said center plate section 32 the foundationme' nber. is formed with an integral spacing portion 33 having two substantially parallel vertical walls 34-34 (Fig. 6) which overlie and are riveted to'the respective webs l3-l3 of the centersill structure by rivets 35. Said walls 34-34 are extended lengthwise of the car for an appreciable distance beyond the flat body portion 33 and are united by an,integral wall portion 36 which extends horizontally between the respective walls 34-34, said horizontal wall being disposed in substantial alignment with the center line of draft, said last named being indicated at -3'| (Fig. 4) The: respective walls 34-34 and the horizontal wall 36 are further united by a transversely disposed wall section 38 which constitutes an abutment for'the draft gear parts. the draft gear being indicated at 39 and the draft yoke at 40. The abutment wall 38 throughout its centralportion-corresponds sub-- stantially in depth to the depth of the draft gear I yoke, and adjacent the ends thereof progressively increases in thickness as indicated at 4| and 42 in order to provide increased strength at .thev junction with the sidewalls 34-34.-

Above the center plate; ,the portion- 33 in pa, vided with a hollow tubular-like eentralrd fi a 43 of substantial height, said 'portionijibeinglfor the purpose of receiving'the'usual (notfshown). A number'of vertically disposed wallsor webs 4'4 extendjbetweenthe walls34-34 'and center plate thereby providing a substantial backing for the center plate and preventing said center plate from bending. The said transverse jwalls 44-44,in combination with the longitudinal walls 34-34 and the horizontal walls 33-33 together with the flat body portion 30 provide a rectangular six-sided box shape which effectively spaces the centersills, the said horizontal walls 30 and 36, being-disposed substantially in parallelism, form an effective medium for resisting the crushing effect of the bolster section due to the vertical strains on the body bolster, it being appreciated that in a shallow bolster of the construction shown, the bolster sections would act as cantilever members pivoting about a center located at the upper portion of the centersills and the lower portion of the topcover plate. This action causes a compressive action to be exerted against the centersills which in turn is'transmitted to the upstanding portion of the bolster center casting.

The flat body tegral side bearing portions 43-48 on each side of the centersills,.and above said side bearings there are provided upwardly extending integral portions 48 each provided with walls 53-50 which overlie and are riveted to tbeupstanding webs 24 of the pair of bolster sections 23 by rivets Ill. The portions-43 also include walls 32 which ex,- tendlengthwise of the car and connect at each end with 33 and cooperate therewith Ito form a strong box-like spacing member. This {box-like spacing memberoperates .to brace the side bearing portions and further. provides the necessary strength to enable said extensions 43 phragms' at each end of the bolsteris a plate membenfl which isriveted as indicated at 134 andwelded'to the member Cas indicated at 33. Each'plate i4 extends-outwardly to the side sill -of the-car and is united therewith and. with the 'bolster bottom flanges by a series of rivets ii. In thismann'er a composite construction is obtained by utilizing a cast member for the central portion of the body bolster and 'a commercially rolled plate section for the outer portions of the body bolster, thereby economizing in weight and concentrating metal where most required and effecting a saving in weight at the locations of least strain.

Thelthickness of thebody plate a is gradu- ,ated,v.providing for a substantial thickness for that portion of the body which'underlies the cenportion :0 is provided with m tersills andlalso for an appreciable distance beyondeach center-sill flange and beyond the bend indicated at 31, said increased thickness terminating'at I31, the thickness thereafter gradually d to a minimum adjacent the outer ends ,of; the member 0 where said body portion merges into a beading or flange 2".

' the car by depending flanges 58-", the depth of said flanges being graduated to provide maximum depth beneath and slightly beyond the centersills, the portion of reduced depth commencing beyond the bend I! as indicated at it. The body portion 30 adjacent the center plate structure is also braced transversely and longitudinally of the car by shallow horizontal ribs 60 and SI respectively. outwardly of,- one of the transversely extending flanges II on the side of the draft gear, the body portion 30 is extended lengthwise of the car as at '2 and connection effected with the flaring portions ll of the vertical abutment.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the construction of the center portion of the foundation casting is modified to" accommodate a vertical draft gear yoke as indicated at I". In this construction the arrangement of center plate and 7 side bearings corresponds to that formerly described. the modification being effected in the center brace portion which is provided with an abutment portion as indicated at llll for the purpose of receiving the draft gear follower I 02.

In this construction the center brace portion M3 is preferably-extended for the full depth of the centersill and the abutment portions lfll are braced by meansof upper and lower ribs as indicated at I and iii, and intermediate ribs I06 whereby abutment strains are directed towards the vertical wall portions I01.

My improved construction, by combining in a one-piece integral member the center plate, bottom tie plate, side bearings, bolster spacers; centersill filler and draft gear abutment greatly simplifies the construction of the car and eliminates a number of rivets, as it will be appreciated that the rivets securing the horizontal body portion of the foundation member to the bolster diaphragms and centersill flanges are also available to resist bufiing and draft shocks and in like manner the combining of the center plate with the draft gear abutment with the bolster bottom tie plate greatly strengthens the car construction and counteracts twisting tendency of the bolster. The twisting tendency of the body bolster is further counteracted in my improved construction by extending the upstanding portion of the foundation bolster casting lengthwise of the car beyond the flatwise body portion and attaching the said extended portions of the foundation bolster to the centersills beyond the bolster diaphragms and independently of said diaphragms.

The formation of a member in one piece having a base portion on which the longitudinal centersills and transverse members of the bolsters rest and being also provided with integral spacing means for the centersills and bolster diaphragms greatly facilitates the manufacture of a car inasmuch as the location of the centersills and the bolster dlaphragms are accurately determined.

- I claim:

1. In a railway car underframe, the combination with centersills and diaphragm: on the opposite sides of said centersills, said diaphragms being arranged in pairs spaced from each other lengthwise of the car. each said diaphragm having a vertical, web section and a lower outstanding marginal flange portion; a bolster bottom member having abodyportion extending flatwise beneath the centersills and extending outwardly beneath the bolster diaphragms and united with the outstanding flange portions of the diaphragms, said bolster bottom member having upstanding integral. portions extending upwardly above the lower portion of, and between, the said spaced diaphragms, said upstanding integral portions being secured to the respective diaphragms and constituting spacers for said diaphragms, and including transverse vertical walls extending between the centersill webs and disposed substantially in alignment with the vertical webs of the bolster diaphragm.

2. In an underframe for railway cars,- a centersill having vertical web plates spaced apart; bolster sections disposed on the opposite sides of the centersills and extending transversely of the car, said bolster sections being arranged in pairs on each side of the centersills and each including a vertical web; a foundation bolster casting having an integral tie plate portion adapted to extend beneath the centersills and bolster sections, said casting having an upwardly extending integral portion positioned between the centersills, said upwardly extending portion having longitudinally extending walls bearing against the centersill webs and transversely extending walls disposed substantially in alignment with the webs of the bolster sections, said upwardly extending portion also having a horizontal wall disposed at an appreciable distance above the integral tie plate portion and extending transversely .of the car and connecting the longitudinal and transverse walls and forming in combination therewith and the integral tie plate portion a box shaped integral section adapted to serve as a spacer for the vertical webs of the centersills.

3. As an article of manufacture, a casting having an upstanding integral portion adapted to be positioned between the centersill webs of a railway car, said casting having a laterally extending flat portion extending on each side of the upstanding portion for attachment to bolster sections lying outwardly of the centersills on each side thereof, said flat portion having formed integral therewith a center plate portion defined in part by substantially vertical walls formed of circular contour, said upstanding portion lying between the centersills having longitudinally and transversely, extending vertical walls together defining a rectangular box shaped four walled section adapted to be positioned above and substantially forming an upward extension of the outermost portion of the walls of the circular contour of the center plate and constituting a bracing means above the said center plate.

mom camera. 

